18 Preface الَّذينَ يَستَمِعونَ القَولَ فَيَتَّبِعونَ أَحسَنَهُ ۚ أُولٰئِكَ الَّذينَ هَداهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَأُولٰئِكَ هُم أُولُو الأَلبابِYusuf AliThose who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it:1 those are the ones whom God has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.The Commentators construe this clause in two alternative ways. (1) If “word” be taken as any word, the clause would mean that good men listen to all that is said and choose the best of it. (2) If “word” be taken to mean God’s Word, it would mean that they should listen reverently to it, and where permissive and alternative courses are allowed for those who are not strong enough to follow the higher course, those “endued with understanding” should prefer to attempt the higher course of conduct. For example, it is permitted (within limits) to punish those who wrong us, but the nobler course is to repel evil with good (23:96), we should try to follow the nobler course. I prefer the latter construction: it accords better with my interpretation of the last verse: see n. 4268.